BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 346
	By: Paxton
	Higher Education
	5/24/2021
	Enrolled

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Background:

The Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program provides grant funding through a competitive process administered through the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Currently these grants are available to public junior colleges, public technical institutes, public state colleges, and independent school districts eligible to compete for these grants. These grants are often used to purchase and install equipment necessary for career and technical education programs.

This bill seeks to allow open-enrollment charter schools to compete for these grants.

Bill Analysis:

Amends Sections 134.004 (a) and (b), Education Code, by adding:

• and open-enrollment charter schools to the list of institutions permitted to compete for the grants.

Amends Sections 134.006 (a) and (d), Education Code, by adding:

• and/or open-enrollment charter schools to the list of institutions permitted to compete for the grants.

Amends Sections 134.007 (a) and (d), Education Code, to read:

• Grants Awarded to Independent School District or Open-Enrollment Charter School

and

• Adds the appropriate language to include open enrollment-charter schools under the subsection.

S.B. 346 amends current law relating to the participation of open-enrollment charter schools in the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 134.004, Education Code, to include open-enrollment charter schools in the list of certain educational institutions that are authorized to receive grants through the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program. Makes a conforming change.

SECTION 2. Amends Sections 134.006(a) and (d), Education Code, to make conforming and nonsubstantive changes.

SECTION 3. Amends Section 134.007, Education Code, as follows:

Sec. 134.007. New heading: GRANTS AWARDED TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT OR OPEN-ENROLLMENT CHARTER SCHOOL. Authorizes the Texas Workforce Commission to award a grant to an open-enrollment charter school, among others, under Chapter 134 (Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grant Program) if the school has entered into a partnership with a public junior college, public technical institute, or public state college for the purpose of promoting career and technical education to the district's or school's students, or offering dual credit courses to the district's or school's students. Makes conforming changes.

SECTION 4. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2021.